The Windies great, formerly the all-time record run-scorer in Tests, believes his countrymen will struggle if matches go the full five-day distance.
But he sees West Indies as having the players who can impose themselves on their hosts, with the behind-closed-doors series starting in Southampton on Wednesday.
"They have to hit the road running and stamp their authority on England," Lara said in quotes published by the BBC.
"I don't think they can last five days, so they have to take these games in four days. They have to establish a lead and keep it."
Lara still holds the highest individual score in Tests - the 400 not out he scored against England in Antigua in 2004.
He knows what it takes to pick apart an England bowling attack, and West Indies' 2-1 series victory over the same opponents last year suggests the current breed can also more than hold their own.
Whether West Indies can be as competitive in English conditions as they were in the Caribbean remains to be seen.
"They have to be able to pounce immediately," said Lara. "England are not beaten very easily at home and are overwhelming favourites."
According to the 51-year-old Trinidadian, the tone for the series could be set on day one.
Lara said: "If they play good cricket on the first day of the Test series, show they have the mettle to perform against England, that's the key."
Chasing a sizeable 469 and with one day rained out, the Windies needed at least 270 to ensure England did at least bat again. A battling knock of 68 from 137 balls by Brooks went on a long way in ensuring the team got to 287, on the back of a devastating new-ball spell from England pace bowler Stuart Broad.
Brooks also featured in two key partnerships. He paired with opener Kraigg Brathwaite for 76 runs and with middle-order batsman Roston Chase for 43. With England back at crease, 219 runs ahead, but two wickets down thanks to impressive late evening bowling by Kemar Roach, all eyes will be focused on how many runs the team will feel is needed to feel comfortable before putting the West Indies back in to bat.
“Yesterday being rained out we knew it was a crucial day lost in this Test match. We knew the situation was just having to come today and bat for as long as possible,” Brooks told members of the media, via a Zoom press conference, at the end of the day’s play.
“Yes, it is England's game and we knew that saving the follow-on was important but the more time that we batted today is the harder it made it for England to get a result out of this game,” he added.
Holder led the West Indies to a surprise 2-1 victory over the then number one team in the world during the series played in the Caribbean in early 2019 and took hold of the Wisden Trophy.
However, during a press conference in the UK on Wednesday, a day after the team arrived for their three-Test series, Holder was quick to dismiss any notion that his team were favourites to win the series that will be played behind closed doors.
“So many things have changed from then to now, conditions being one of them. To call us favourites would be wrong. England are a higher-ranked side than us and I think they are favourites in their back yard,” said Holder.
“There is lots to play for and lots to motivate you as a group. Guys are pumped up for the opportunity and the only sad thing is that we won’t be able to play in front of the crowds.”
Holder believes his players should cherish the opportunity to play notwithstanding recent developments wherein the players are facing a 50 per cent temporary pay cut imposed by a cash-strapped Cricket West Indies.
“I see so many leagues in jeopardy and the World T20 as well -- so the mere fact we are getting an opportunity to play cricket I think we should cherish that,” Holder said.
“Many organisations are taking pay cuts and we have suddenly got our opportunity now to make some money so we have a lot of things to be thankful for and I think we just have to relish the opportunity and grab it with both hands.”
The West Indies will spend the next four weeks preparing for the series that begins with the first Test at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on July 8.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite leads the charge on the batting ranking, as he moved up two slots to 40th position, following scores of 48 and 47 in the second Test, which West Indies lost by 241 runs. They lost the first Test by an innings and 114 runs and will try to avoid a whitewash in the final Test in Edgbaston starting on Friday.
Wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua de Silva was rewarded for his first innings score of 82 in that match, as he jumped seven places to 61st, while Jason Holder’s 27 and 37 saw him inched up two places to 70th. Kavem Hodge’s 120, which was his maiden Test century, pushed him into the top 80.
The Dominican batsman moved 21 places up to 75th, one spot behind Kyle Mayers, who, despite being out of action, remains in 74th. Alick Athanaze held firm in 77th, while discarded Jermaine Blackwood (50th), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (83rd), Roston Chase (86th), and Kirk McKenzie (100) are the other Caribbean batsmen in the top 100.
On the bowling chart, new-ball bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales made the only notable improvements to their rankings. Joseph moved up two places to 33rd after finishing with five wickets in the match, and Seales moved up 10 places from 44th to 34th with six wickets.
Meanwhile, England batter Harry Brook has achieved a career-best third position after notching a century in the second Test.
Brook, who scored 36 and 109 in Nottingham, advanced four places, while his teammates Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope have also made significant gains in the latest weekly update to the men’s rankings, which are carried out on Wednesdays across formats.
Left-handed opener Duckett has progressed six places to 16th position after notching scores of 71 and 76, while Player of the Match Pope has advanced from 29th to 21st with scores of 121 and 51.
Chris Woakes is back into the top 20 of the bowling rankings for the first time since September 2021, after he finished with four for 84 and two for 28 in the match, while spinner Shoaib Bashir has advanced 18 slots to 53rd position after he took his third five-wicket haul in just his fifth Test.
In the ICC World Test Championship standings, England are placed in sixth place, while West Indies are ninth, as per the percentage points that determine qualification.
England host the Windies in three Test matches behind closed doors next month as international cricket returns following the coronavirus pandemic.
Star bowler Archer was born in Barbados and represented West Indies at Under-19 level before opting to play for England.
He is close friends with Windies duo Shai Hope and Chemar Holder, as well as being a former team-mate of Alzarri Joseph and Preston McSween.
But Roach insists Archer's relationship with many of the squad will have no impact on the cricket that will be played.
The series will be the fast bowler's first Test encounters against his former team, following their Cricket World Cup duel last year.
"Jofra made his decision and he's done a fantastic job for England so far but there will be no friendships during this series," said Roach, who is also from Barbados.
"It's all about winning and playing hard cricket. We will devise a plan for our batsmen to counter him and I'm looking forward to that battle.
"I saw him as a youngster in domestic cricket back home in Barbados and always thought he was talented. He has come over here and shown what he can do.
"I want to wish him all the best in his career. But you will definitely see if we have any words for him on the field when that comes around."
West Indies defeated England 2-1 in the Caribbean last year, with Roach taking 18 wickets, including a five-for when the tourists collapsed for 77 in Barbados.
They have not won a series in England since 1988 but Roach believes there are factors working in his side's favour as they bid to retain the Wisden Trophy.
"[England is a] fast-bowling paradise, it's different conditions to the Caribbean and the ball will do a bit more here," he said.
"We saw what happened in the Caribbean and that's pretty fresh in our minds. If we can get stuck into the batsmen we will have a great chance of defeating England.
"The [five-for] was definitely one of the highlights of my career. It was at home in front of friends and family, one of the best performances I've put down, especially as we went on to win the series.
"I'm proud of the team for what we did then but we've moved on now. It's all about taking the Wisden Trophy back to the Caribbean.
"The strong England support they have here can play a part. Now [without fans] it's a more level playing field.
"When July 8 comes, let's see how it goes and how fast we can adapt and get stuck into the English."
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl first because of, according to captain Kieron Pollard, the presence of some ‘juice’ in the pitch, the West Indies produced one of their best bowling displays in a long time to wreck the England batting line-up for just 103 in 19.4 overs.
Jason Holder took his best bowling figures in T20s with 4-7 off 3.4 overs and he was supported by Sheldon Cottrell who claimed 2-30 from his four overs.
Chris Jordan top-scored for the English with 28 and Adil Rashid added 22.
The West Indies looked comfortable in their chase, only losing one wicket before getting to the target in just 17.1 overs.
Brandon King got his second T20I 50, finishing not out on 55, while Nicholas Pooran finished not out on 20.
The second match of the series takes place tomorrow at the same venue and time.
England return to Test action next month with three matches against West Indies in the bio-secure stadiums in Manchester and Southampton, and they are set to be without skipper Joe Root when the first contest begins on July 8.
Root is due to leave the team bubble to be with his wife for the birth of their second child and he will require a seven-day period of self-isolation before returning to camp.
That means vice-captain Stokes is set to deputise as skipper, despite concerns from former captain Kevin Pietersen that such a role would curb the all-rounder's attacking instincts.
Stokes is determined to remain the same man, though, even if he admits it will be hard to get the ball out of his hand when he is on a roll.
Stokes said: "If it's flat, I'll just chuck the ball to Jofra [Archer] and Broady [Stuart Broad] and Jimmy [Anderson] and say, 'On you go!'
"It is a tough one because when Joe asks me to come and bowl… if I'm not bowling well I know, right, I'm probably going to be taken off here.
"But then when I feel like I'm in a really good rhythm and don't want to be taken off, Joe doesn't say, 'Keep going.' He sort of looks and goes, 'One more?' And he'll say that for another four or five overs.
"I guess I might have to be a little bit more mindful as I'm the person who's making that decision, but if I've got the ball in my hand or I've got the bat in my hand, I would like to think I'm still going to have to that same mentality as I always do.
"I've been in so many different situations in the field as a batter and as a bowler that I can always relate back to them and think, 'Right, what did Joe expect of me in this situation?' But it's a tough one isn't it to know if you are feeling good as a bowler when to keep yourself on."
While others such as Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss and Root had been earmarked to be England captain long before they were eventually handed the role, Stokes acknowledged few would have considered him as a skipper-in-waiting.
However, the 29-year-old believes he is ready for the position having played in 63 Tests since his debut in 2013.
"I've been a senior player since 2016 under Cooky and since Joe's been in charge," he added.
"Being able to learn from Alastair Cook and Rooty in terms of different situations throughout the game has rubbed off on me and will put me in good stead for all the different situations that a Test match can throw at you.
"At the same time, we've got some really experienced guys out in the field who I can use. We've got Jimmy, Broady, who've just got ample Test matches and wickets between them. There's so many people that you can throw ideas off.
"I would like to think I would be quite an open captain and wouldn't want my way is the only way. I don't think that's the best way to operate.
"There's 11 guys out in the field so why not get 10 other opinions on something that you're thinking about?"
Matthews, the number one-ranked ICC Women's T20I all-rounder put together a remarkable series of performances last year, as she racked up 700 runs in the year, the most by any player in a year in Women's T20Is. She also picked up 19 wickets at an average of 16.21 in a mere 14 matches for the year.
The 25-year-old Barbadian is up against three high-class players, with, England’s Sophie Ecclestone, the top ranked T20 international bowler, Australia’s Ellyse Perry, and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu also nominated.
Matthews’ stellar display against Australia in a bilateral T20I series in the second half of the year, was one for the ages. During that series, she posted scores of an unbeaten 99, 132 and 79, as she proved to be a thorn to the Australian side.
Matthews’ extraordinary unbeaten 99 in the first game of the series was overshadowed by her mind-blowing 132 in a run-chase of 213 in Sydney. The world-record run-chase in women's T20Is saw Matthews break several records, including that of the highest individual score in a women’s T20I run-chase.
Her overall tally of 310 runs in the series is the most by any player in a women's T20I bilateral series. Matthews also enjoyed good form in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, where she tallied 130 runs and took four wickets and four catches.
The hard-hitting Matthews produced a match-winning performance in a tight encounter against Ireland at the T20 World Cup. In that contest, she picked up four wickets and made a 34-ball 48, but her remarkable 132 against Australia overshadowed it all.
Having taken three wickets for 36 runs with the ball as Australia made a whopping 212, West Indies were faced with a daunting task in the run-chase, but nothing could have prepared anyone for Matthews’ innings.
She hit two fours and a six in the 17th over of the run-chase to raise her century off just 53 balls, and then clubbed Jess Jonassen for four fours in a row in the 19th over to bring the equation down to eight runs needed off six balls.
While Matthews was dismissed in the over, she had set the stage for one of the most outrageous women's T20I wins of all-time with her blistering 132 off just 64 balls. The innings was studded with 20 fours and five sixes, as 110 of her 132 runs came in boundaries.
Meanwhile, the men’s T20 shortlist includes 2022 winner Suryakumar Yadav of India, New Zealand’s Mark Chapman, Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza and Uganda’s Alpesh Ramjani – who helped his side qualify for their first ever World Cup.
Gerald Coetzee (South Africa), Yashasvi Jaiswal (India), Dilshan Madushanka (Sri Lanka) and Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand), compete for the men’s emerging player.
Nominees for Test and ODI awards will be released later this week.
The squad is expected to depart from the Caribbean on June 8.
According to cricket commentator and talk show host Andrew Mason, the selectors had a hard time selecting a squad but in the end, came up with a squad that includes the recalled Jermaine Blackwood and Shannon Gabriel.
The names of the others who were selected include Captain Jason Holder, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Shane Dowrich, Roston Chase, Shemarh Brooks, Rahkeem Cornwall, Nkrumah Bonner, Alzarri Joseph, Chemar Holder, John Campbell, Raymon Reifer and Kemar Roach.
The West Indies will be in the United Kingdom for about four weeks and will be housed in a bio-secure environment while they get up to speed before the start of the first Test.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Tuesday that a three-Test series without spectators is scheduled to start on July 8 at the Ageas Bowl.
Old Trafford will host the second and third Tests.
The venues have been selected from a group of four that submitted an interest, having had to demonstrate to the ECB board an ability to meet criteria surrounding biosecurity, medical screening-testing provision, footprint to enable social distancing and venue-cricket operations.
Edgbaston was picked as a contingency venue and will be utilised for additional training throughout July.
The Windies are due to arrive in England on June 9 and will use Old Trafford as their base for training and quarantining before travelling to the Ageas Bowl.
The schedule for the tournament in the United Arab Emirates and Oman was confirmed on Tuesday, with the final taking place in Dubai on November 14.
Pakistan and India will do battle in their opening Super12 Group 2 match at 6 pm local time.
New Zealand will get their bid for glory underway against Pakistan in Sharjah two days later, while Afghanistan begin their campaign on 25 October against a qualifier
Holders West Indies play England in a repeat of the dramatic 2016 final in debut on October 23, the same day as Group 1 rivals Australia face South Africa in Abu Dhabi.
The opening game of the competition will see co-hosts Oman come up against Papua New Guinea in Group B on October 17, with Scotland and Bangladesh in action on the same day.
The first semi-final will take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and the second will be staged in Dubai the following day.
West Indies T20 World Cup schedule
23 October
England vs West Indies
Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
26 October
South Africa vs West Indies
Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
29 October
West Indies vs B2
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
4 November
West Indies A1
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
6 November
Australia vs West Indies
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
The decision to postpone the tour came as a result of the uncertainty for the safe resumption of cricket in the United Kingdom, as well as international air travel.
As a result, it was a logically mutual decision to postpone the tour to a later date until the clearance is granted by the UK government. The proposed window for the likely staging of this series is now July until the end of September.
“We continue to be in regular dialogue with the ECB on when and how we might be able to rearrange the Test Series. Clearly playing in June is now not possible and we will continue our discussions with the ECB and other Internationals Boards on trying to find new dates,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.
“We will only travel to England to play the series if our players can be assured that it is safe to do so. Our respective Medical Teams are beginning to discuss how this series could be played whilst guaranteeing the health and safety of our players and support team. We will be as flexible as we can without compromising the safety of our team.”
The West Indies were scheduled to play the three-match Test series from June 4-8, The Oval, June 12-16 Edgbaston, June 25-29 Lord’s.
The trio, Darren Bravo, Keemo Paul, and Shimron Hetmyer all respectfully declined to be part of a 25-man squad picked to tour England next month. With eyes firmly on the coronavirus epidemic, the three-Test series will be played in empty stadiums and players placed in a quarantined bio-secure environment as soon as they arrive in the UK. In addition, the players will be brought in on a private flight.
The precautions were, however, not enough to assuage the fears of the players. With 283,311 cases and 40,261 deaths, the UK recently took over from Italy as the European country most badly affected by the coronavirus. In declining Bravo, Paul and Hetmyer wrote to the CWI authorities and cited concerns for themselves and their families.
“Keemo Paul is the sole breadwinner in his entire household and wider family. He was really concerned if something happened to him how his family would cope,” CWI CEO Grave told ESPNCricinfo.
“He wrote passionately about how hard a decision it was for him and how much he loves playing for West Indies, but after with consultation with his family he doesn’t feel he can leave them and doesn’t want to go on the tour,” he added.
Grave went on to reveal that in a similar email from Hetmyer, he explained that he “didn’t feel comfortable from a safety point of view, leaving his home, leaving his family and heading over to England.”
The CEO had earlier insisted the decision will not be held against any of the players.
This was the second agonizing one-wicket defeat in the series, following a similar result on the second Youth ODI in Beckenham.
Left-arm quick Gordon, who claimed 3 for 37, stood out bowling with good pace and swing, highlighted by his dismissal of England opener William Luxton, clean bowled in the first over. He was well supported by his right-arm pace duo compatriots Layne, 3 for 40, and Isai Thorne, 2 for 40, as they kept West Indies in the contest by regularly taking wickets.
When Layne dismissed tail end batters Nathan Barnwell caught behind and Joshua Boyden comprehensively bowled in the space of two overs, West Indies were on the verge of pulling off a thrilling fightback win with England still needing 12 runs. However, George Bell, who had an unbeaten half-century of 60 from 115 balls, held his nerve alongside the number 11 batter Sonny Baker to take the home side over the line.
Earlier, Matthew Nandu (51) became the second West Indies batsman to score a half-century on tour alongside Teddy Bishop. His 57-run third-wicket partnership with Ackeem Auguste 32 had West Indies solidly placed at one stage on 101 for 2. But the innings never kicked on, with captain on the day Giovonte Depeiza (34) being the only other major contributor.
The two teams will return to the same venue on Friday for the series finale. First ball is 10:30 am (5:30 Eastern Caribbean/4:30 am Jamaica).
The U-19 Windies, who won the title in 2016, are off to a strong start at the current edition of the tournament after notching wins over Australia, England, and Nigeria. The team’s latest win, a dominant 246 runs win over their African opponents, ensured that the Windies were top of group B.
According to the CWI president, the team’s strong showing, which has taken many by surprise, is no accident.
“This administration promised that we would invest more seriously and in a more focussed and strategic way on our youth cricket and this Under-19 team is an example of what we set about to do immediately – to give them the best possible preparation going into this World Cup,” Skerritt said recently.
“They have achieved already way beyond the expectations of most people. They beat Australia, they beat England. We are going to hope and pray that they continue on the path of improvement and performing at their best and whatever the end result of this World Cup is for them they would have made the Caribbean people extremely proud.”
The Barbadian smashed 69 from 59 deliveries but the West Indies were restricted to 116 for 6 chasing 164 for victory. No other batter got into double figures for the West Indies.
Chasing a target 24 runs more than they have ever made in a T20 match in England, the West Indies struggled early against England’s bowlers. Hayley Matthews (3) and Stafanie Taylor (8) went cheaply as Katherine Brunt, who gave up just eight runs from her four overs; Natalie Sciver and Anya Shrubsole aided by pace and swing kept things tight.
Despite Dottin’s best efforts to accelerate the scoring rate by midway the innings, the West Indies needed 12 runs an over. After 11 overs, the West Indies were 49 for 2, and staring defeat in the face needing 115 from just 54 balls.
From there, Dottin went into full attack mode smashing Shrubsole for a six over long-on and four down to backward square. However, she and Lee-Ann Kirby were involved in a comical mix up that resulted in Kirby being run out for 7 to leave the West Indies at 61 for 3.
By the time Sophie Ecclestone bowled Dottin midway the 19th over, victory was well out of reach.
Eccelstone finished with 2 for 19 while Natalie Sciver ended with 2 for 16.
Earlier, England won the toss and chose to take first strike.
Opener Tammy Beaumont, the Player of the Match, scored a brilliant half-century that helped England to their winning total. Beaumont’s runs came off just 49 balls and included nine fours and a massive straight six as England racked up 163 for 8 from their allotment of 20 overs.
The West Indies Women were guilty of wayward bowling as England raced to 49 for 1 during the Powerplay and at one point looked as if 180 was in the offing.
Heather Knight, who scored 25 from 17 balls and Amy Jones, 24 from 16, helped push the score along helped by undisciplined bowling from Aaliyah Alleyne who gave up 25 runs from her two overs.
However, Shakira Selman 3 for 26, Stafanie Taylor 2 for 34, and Hayley Matthews 2 for 25 helped keep the score in check. Selman and Matthews took crucial wickets near the end as England lost their last five wickets for 31 runs from the final five overs.
However, by then the match was well beyond the West Indies.
The second game of the five-match T20 Vitality Series is to be played on Wednesday.
In pursuit of England’s target of 151, the West Indies were at 71 for 1 at around the halfway point of the runs chase. The team was anchored by a 61 run top-order partnership between captain Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin.
Once Dottin was dismissed lbw, however, Taylor followed two overs later and a rapid collapse saw the team eventually all out for 104. In the last 6.1 overs, the team nosedived from 72 for 1, to 96 for 8.
“For this format of the game, the intensity is very important. We had that early on with that significant partnership between Deandra and Stephanie of 60-odd that really kept that momentum going,” Colley explained following the match.
“During that middle period, however, we actually dipped in terms of our intent and moved away from that intensity around scoring boundaries and that obviously led to us losing some momentum toward the end. We needed to keep going to stay on pace with the required rate,” he added.
Even before that, however, the team must certainly be regretting not doing a bit better with the ball. Having reduced England to 96 for 6, they let it slip in the last bowling five overs, and a 150-target was always going to be a tough task.
"In this game, we were able to pull things back in the middle. Our spinners did well to pull back in the middle. The last five overs was really what cost us, they scored 50 runs in the last five and that pushed them past a score we were looking at.”
At the World Cup, the West Indies Women, champions in 2016, failed to play to expectations, losing two of their four matches thus failing to advance from their Group B that contained Thailand, England, Pakistan and South Africa.
Matthews’ form was equally poor with scores of 16, 0, and 10 as the West Indies fell to Pakistan and England. Their match against South Africa was rained out. Their only win came against minnows, Thailand.
The Barbadian sees the coming England series as an opportunity for the team whose players are eager to set right the wrongs of February 2020.
“I think as a team we are going to want to come out here and redeem ourselves and be able to show that we are not the team that played that World Cup, that we are a lot better than that,” she said.
The 22-year-old all-rounder said the break that followed the World Cup debacle was a welcome one.
“It was a difficult World Cup. It was good that everyone got that mental break and had a look at what we weren’t doing so well,” she said during an online interview session on Monday from the United Kingdom where the team is preparing for their five-match T20 series that is set to begin on September 21.
On a personal level, Matthews said she used the time off to work on her game.
“I was able to get back in the nets and work really hard at my game, was able to sort out some stuff that I saw going wrong technically and hopefully I am able to go out and execute those skills that I have been working on over the past couple of months,” she said.
The team that arrived in England last week, has been preparing well, she said, and being in isolation has allowed the players to focus on their game and the series ahead.
“I think it’s been pretty comfortable. From the first day we came in we know what the protocols were. We were told and given everything we needed so it was just a matter of coming down here and getting into the training,” she said.
“(The conditions) are a bit helpful, kind of limits distractions and you get to focus on the cricket a bit more.”
Cricket West Indies made the announcement on Tuesday.
The decision comes only after cricket operations and medical officials from CWI and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) held detailed discussions and agreed that all local and international logistics and medical protocols would follow those established and successfully implemented for the West Indies Men’s tour to England earlier this year.
The players and staff will remain in a bio-secure environment for the duration of the tour, with all matches being played “behind closed doors” at the Incora County Ground, Derby.
“We are delighted to be able to confirm this tour and re-start our Women’s programme. It has been a real challenge to put everything in place at short notice but knowing that our Women’s team will be hosted in the same bio-secure environment as our Men’s team, following all the established protocols, has enabled us to confirm the tour in under two weeks since we first spoke to the ECB about the potential opportunity,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.
“We are very proud to have restarted Men’s International cricket with the ECB and its great that we can now bring back Women’s International cricket too.”
CWI has sought the relevant approvals within the Caribbean, including seeking permission from the various Governments to facilitate the movement of players and support staff using private charter planes as well as conducting medical screenings and individual COVID-19 testing for all members of the touring party.
The five-match series will replace England’s scheduled series against India and South Africa after both those teams were unavailable to travel due to COVID-19.
The full schedule is as follows:
Monday September 21: 1st Vitality IT20, England v West Indies (Sky Sports)
Wednesday September 23: 2nd Vitality IT20, England v West Indies (Sky Sports)
Saturday September 26: 3rd Vitality IT20, England v West Indies (Sky Sports, BBC)
Monday September 28: 4th Vitality IT20, England v West Indies (Sky Sports)
Wednesday September 30: 5th Vitality IT20, England v West Indies (Sky Sports)
The third IT20 on Saturday September 26 will be simulcast live on the BBC and Sky Sports; the first-time women’s international cricket in the UK has been on free-to-air television since the 1993 Women’s World Cup final.
This will be the first time two ICC ranked women’s teams will play a bilateral series since the worldwide lockdown as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Both teams last played each other at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia, where England defeated the West Indies by 46 runs.
The West Indies and England are set for a return to international cricket next month with a three-match Test series, in England. With the spread and effects of the coronavirus still very much evident in the UK, however, some have questioned the wisdom of the decision, particularly based on the risk posed to the players.
With 291,409 thousand reported cases and 41,279 deaths, the UK is the hardest-hit region in Europe. The ECB has, however, been taking precautions with a chartered flight for the team to the UK and the implementation of a biosecure environment for the series, which will keep the players quarantined from the rest of the general public for the duration of the tour. There is still, however, some risk attached but Grave has been quick to dismiss suggestions the invitation was accepted because of a debt owed.
“We got a three-million-dollar advance of our ICC distribution that was given to us by ECB. It’s a short-term interest-free advance because its due to be paid back in full in July, directly by ICC to ECB and will be deducted from the money we get,” Grave told Barbados Nationnews.
“In early May when we received it, we weren’t discussing it at all because the situation in the UK was not the state that it is now. So, I guarantee you it’s not linked in any way shape, or form to our touring or not touring.”
Hetmyer and Bravo joined bowler Keemo Paul in rejecting the offer to join a 25-member squad to tour England this month. With the UK being one of the countries most badly ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, the trio insisted that they did not feel it was safe to take the risk associated with going on the tour, despite safety assurances given by the England Cricket Board (ECB). The matches will take place in front of empty stadiums and players will be kept in an enclosed and heavily quarantined environment.
With both players, despite their prodigious talent, struggling for firm footing when it comes to the West Indies squad, Holding believes the match could have provided useful hitting time.
“I think it’s unfortunate as far as West Indies cricket is concerned. I’m not going to tell anyone that they should be going to England, because the COVID-19 is around. Someone may get sick or even worse,” Holding said on youtube podcast Mikey – No Holding back.
“But at the same time, I think it’s unfortunate for the West Indies team because these guys have quite a bit of talent and they’ll be missed," he added.
“I’m sorry that Bravo in particular isn’t going, because I think he needs to resuscitate his career. He started off so brilliantly, everyone thought he was going to be another great West Indian batsman but he hasn’t really fulfilled that. I think the more cricket he can play now, especially with the West Indies, is the more he has a chance of getting on track and showing everyone the great player he could be,” Holding said.
“Hetmyer is another talented player and again I’m sorry that he is not going to get more opportunities to express himself, but I’m not blaming them for not going.”
